Zamboanga Peninsula, Region IX, Philippines

The Philippine Republic's Region IX, Western Mindanao, comprises three
provinces with a total population of 3,045,000 by the 2000 census. Zamboanga del
Norte and Zamboanga del Sur share a long, thin peninsula pointing toward the
smaller offshore island of Basilan, the third province in the region.

Flag images here drawn after Symbols of the State,
published by the Philippines Bureau of Local Government.

Zamboanga del Norte has a population of 805,000 in two cities, Dapitan and
Dipolog, and twenty-five towns. John Ayer, 15 February 2001

Zamboanga del Norte's two cities are Dapitan City and
Dipolog City. Dapitan is officially "The Shrine City of the
Philippines," apparently because it sheltered patriot leader Dr. Jose Rizal from
July 1892 to July 1896. His home in exile, an estate of sixteen hectares and
several buildings, is preserved as the Rizal Shrine. The city was chartered in
1963, the date on the scroll under the shield. Eighty percent of the inhabitants
practice agriculture in some form. Dipolog City, the provincial capital, seems
to have quite a diversified economy.John Ayer, 15 February 2001

The Philippine Republic's Region IX, Western Mindanao, contains four cities. The
two in Zamboanga del Sur are Pagadian City, the provincial
capital, and Zamboanga City. Zamboanga was in the early
twentieth century the capital from which Gen. John J. Pershing, U.S.A., governed
Moro Province, which included the whole of Mindanao. One of his successors was
Leonard Wood. The building built to serve as the provincial capitol is now
Zamboanga's city hall. The Zamboangans apparently esteemed Gen. Pershing; after
he left they renamed one of their squares Plaza Pershing in his honor, and it
still bears that name. Water-based recreation facilities abound in both cities.
Not only do both cities' shields have both Christian and Islamic insignia, one
of Zamboanga's parks has a natural swimming pool called "Chrislam Pool" (and a
shrine to the late Senator Benigno Aquino.John Ayer, 15 February 2001

According to the official website of the Province of Zamboanga del Sur,
Philippines,
http://www.zamboangadelsur.gov.ph/contents/about/general_info/zdsflag.php,
the provincial flag has the following meaning:
"Trees represent the vast area of forested lands existing at the time of the
creation of the province. Fish represents the rich fishing resources and
potential of the province. Fruits symbolize the agricultural potential of the
province. Vinta is a common emblem for territories within the Muslim belt,
especially in Southern Mindanao. Logs signifies that the province is a leading
supplier of logs and lumber materials in the country. Minerals symbolize the
vast mining potentials of the province."Valentin Poposki, 27 April 2007